Comic Review : Star Trek – Khan # 1

I think it goes without saying that this review will contain spoilers for Star Trek Into Darkness. If you haven’t seen it you probably should. OF course if you’re buying this book without seeing the movie your existence puzzles me and I don’t know of what help I can be to you.

The issue begins at the trial of Benedict Cucumberbatch’s Khan following the events of Into Darkness. I know Cumberbatch’s casting as Khan is still a touchy subject for a good number of people, so the panel where the Federation is confused as to why this whitebread Englishman is purporting to be Khan while the photo they have for him clearly looks like Ricardo Montalban puts a great big grin on my face

The book then turns into an origin story for Khan, beginning in the 1970s where a company is interested in genetically engineering super soldiers. Khan is shown as a cripple who through genetic tampering in combination with a superior intellect grows into a violent, sociopathic threat.

I don’t know how “canon” this story is meant to be. I know that Robert Orci gets a “story consultant” credit on the opening page, but beyond that I do not know if anything contained herein will do anything to assuage the feelings of people offended by Cumberbatch’s casting as Khan. It is shown that young Khan does indeed look far more dark skinned than Cumberbatch, so are we going to find that the Khan from Into Darkness may not be who he claims? I doubt it because the general public is not going to read this book, so it would do nothing to add to the story unless they adapt part of it for the third installment of the film franchise, which I doubt very much will happen.

On its own merit the book is interesting and easily a recommended read to Star Trek fans. Where the series will go after this first issue is a real mystery, one better kept than Abrams’ attempt to hide Cumberbatch’s identity as Khan.